


Unexpected

by kuhekabir



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:18:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhekabir/pseuds/kuhekabir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sleeping with Alec yielded unexpected results for Jace. But no one could've foreseen what the future would hold for the shadowhunters. Will they make it, or will fate get in the way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After about half a year of not writing a single word, I've decided to try again. Yes, this also means other stories should receive update soon.
> 
> In the mean time, I wanted to try my hand at this because I've become a recent fan of the Mortal Instrument Series. If you haven't seen City of Bones in the cinema yet, go see it!
> 
> There are spoilers here, this story isn't set anywhere in particular, but I guess you could say it takes place sometime after booked 4 with some things of book 5 haven taken place. I guess you could call it AU?
> 
> Oh, and this hasn't been betaed - sorry! (Anyone want to apply for the 'job'?)

"You really should go and talk to Alec," Isabel tried to gently nudge Jace forward. Jace dug in his heels, not moving an inch.

"He's fine," he gritted out through clenched teeth, balling his fingers into tight fists.

"Fine?" Isabel replied, her voice rising when she repeated the same word for a second time. "Fine? He just lost the love of his life. And you think he's fine?"

Jace flinched. He tried to hide it, but he figured his adopted sister knew how to look right through him. She'd known him long enough after all. Of course he knew better. Alec wasn’t fine, far from it really, but wasn’t it better to suffer alone? What good would it do if he stood there, trying to put on his most considerate face while not knowing what to say or to do?

If Isabel knew him, then Alec knew him ten times better. He would look right through him, see how uncomfortable he was, and be put upon because Jace couldn’t put his own insecurities out to pasture for five seconds. He frowned. Wait a minute…this really wasn’t about him…

"Fine," he growled. "I'll go see him. Just leave me alone."

Isabel gave him a considering look, but somehow he must have telegraphed sincerity since she only gave him a curt nod before walking away. Jace hovered in the hallway a few seconds longer before he drew a deep breath.

This wasn’t about him. This was about Alec, and while giving him space might've been the right thing to do two days ago, it might be wise to check up on him now. Like he thought before, Alec knew him. He would know how uncomfortable having to deal with feelings made him. But he would also be able to tell how much Jace cared.

If Alec wanted, no, needed something from him, then he was ready to give it. Anything, for Alec wasn't just his best friend, his brother, he was his parabatai. Isabel had been right. She might not have said it out loud, but her stance had proclaimed it loud and clear: Jace was a coward if he didn’t go and see Alec right now.

So, slowly at first, he put one foot after the other, making his way towards Alec's room. For the last few days he'd avoided sleeping in his own bed since his room was right next to Alec's. For someone who considered himself to be fearless, not afraid of a fight, he sure as hell was acting like chicken now. Well, not anymore, he decided with steely determination.

He paused in front of Alec's door, his hand hovering over the wood for a few seconds before he knocked. No answer. He tried again, this time more forcefully. Nothing happened.

"Alec," he yelled, thinking Alec might answer if he knew it was him. "Open up." When no one answered again, he banged against the door. "Come on, man. I'll leave you alone if that's what you want. I just want to make sure you didn’t do yourself any damage!"

Nothing, not even a sound.

With determination, Alec walked away, entering his own room. He yanked the window open a bit more forcefully than strictly necessary, he just couldn’t help himself. He leaned out, verifying that the way to the ground was still as long as he remembered. Well, if Alec wasn’t going to open the door, he was going to have to use the only other means of entrance to his room: the window.

He carefully moved his long body through the window and out into the open. The small latch running along the wall gave him something to stand on. Normally he wouldn't waste any time thinking about how a building looked. Old, new, or renovated, he couldn’t care less. Right now though he was thrilled by living in an ancient building because the intricate ornaments, and other things on the outer wall, proved to just what he needed to make his way across without tumbling to his death. Skilled fighter he might be but he was no spider. Unlike a certain animal, he couldn’t latch onto a wall and just glide across. He needed something to help him along.

His muscles stretched when he held on one with one hand, using the other to rap against the glass window. No answer. For a brief second, he wondered what would happen if Alec didn’t reply. Getting back to his window seemed a bit daunting.

Before he could try again, the window opened. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alec yelled at the top of his lungs. His sudden appearance, like a bullet coming out of nowhere, startled Jace so much, he lost the grip on the window sill. Before his heart could skip a beat, Alec's strong hands grabbed him, hauling him forward. He scrambled to assist, his legs finally finding purchase again so he could push himself forward into the dark room.

With a loud grunt he landed on the floor, panting harshly. He used his hands to pull himself into a sideways position. He glanced up at Alec, who looked quite magnificent in his fury. "I bet you're no longer moping now, are you?" he asked cheekily. His heart beat rapidly in his chest while he tried to get his nerves to settle down. He took a deep breath, not quite realising how he smiled rather seductively while doing so.

"You…you…" Alec spluttered. "Have you lost your mind?" He settled on accusing him. "You could've killed yourself!"

Jace snorted. It would take a lot more to do him in than a simple window sill. His fright from a few moments ago forgotten, he swiftly got to his feet, bouncing on his heels. His agility had saved his life countless times in combat, and he knew it gave him an extra kind of grace which worked quite well with the ladies.

Before he could think of a witty comeback, Alec crossed the distance between them. "You could've died!" He informed him yet again. Alec grabbed his shoulders, his finger digging in deep. Jace winced, but didn’t protest. 

Suddenly, Alec pulled him towards him, pressing his lips to Jace's. Jace gasped, his mouth opening in surprise, not in submission.

"Jace, Jace…" Alec muttered, nipping on his lower lip as he stopped the kiss. He pressed his face into the crook of Jace's neck, wrapping his arms tightly around the slender man's torso. For a few seconds, Jace didn’t know how to react. He stood there stiffly, blinking rapidly. However, common sense finally restarted, and he completed the rather desperate hug by clinging to Alec as well.

As a lady's man, he was quite familiar with soft curves and yielding bodies. Being pressed up against Alec was anything but soft and yielding. He'd seen the guy naked countless times before, but there was no way he'd been prepared for being pressed flush against his friend's body. Besides, hugging wasn’t really something he did.

Sure, Clary demanded a bit more physical affection than he was actually comfortable in giving, but he figured he ought to make some allowances for his new friend and potential lover. Contrary to what most people thought, he didn’t push for sex. Sure, he never objected either, but if Clary wasn't ready to do more than cuddle and tease, than he was good with it. Not everyone could be ready for the big leagues at the age of 14 like he'd been.

Sometimes he even wondered if he'd ever been a proper child. He almost snorted, barely stopping himself before doing so. Alec would inquire what he thought was so funny, and this wasn’t a conversation he was nowhere near ready. Up until recently he'd always been grateful for how he'd been brought up. Sure, his supposed father hadn't been caring, but he'd sure as hell trained him well.

The Lightwoods might've shown him what it meant to be a part of a real family, but despite their protestations to the contrary, he would always be an adopted part of the family, never a real part of it. For that you needed to have the same blood which he so obviously didn't.

Still, Alec was his parabatai, his everything. Anything he wanted, or needed, especially now, he would provide.

He was so caught up in his own inner turmoil, he didn’t even notice Alec had started to walk him backwards until he could feel the edge of the bed digging into the back of his knees.

"What?" he asked.

Alec didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved Jace backwards, crawling up do lie beside him. He pulled him tight against his body before throwing a leg over Jace's, effectively pinning him to the mattress. With everyone else, Jace would've extracted himself, but with Alec? No way…

"I can't…" Alec mumbled, burying his face in Jace's shirt, inhaling deeply.

"Come on," Jace tried to light the mood. "I can't smell all that great…don't you want to stick your nose elsewhere?"

Alec chuckled, the sound vibrating through Jace's body as if someone had plugged him into an electrical outlet. His friend shifted once again, ending almost on top of him. Jace grunted as Alec accidentally elbowed him.

"What?" His eyes turned wide as Alec brought his knee up, pressing not so gently against Jace's groin. Then, Alec kissed him again, his soft lips so unlike any other, Jace couldn’t help himself, he kissed right back.

When Isabel had told him to help Alec, surely she hadn't meant this, but if his brother needed comfort, who was he to deny him? Out of all of them, he was the slut in the family. He slept with any female he came across who was willing, and he didn’t have a single shameful bone in his body.

Sure, since Clary he hadn't slept around, he'd strictly kept everything down to flirting, but this wasn’t cheating. This was him helping Alec. Surely she would do the same for Simon, right? Besides, sex didn’t necessary have any deeper meaning, it just made you feel good, and clearly Alec needed to feel extra good today.

If it got his friend's thought off Magnus for a little while, who was he to object?

Jace might not have done anything similar with a man before, but the principle was the same, and what he didn’t know, Alec would surely explain to him.

Not that he would ever admit to not knowing something!

"You sure?" Jace asked when Alec moved on from his mouth to plant soft kisses along his jaw. "Alec?"

"Please," Alec pleaded brokenly. His left hand snug under Jace's shirt so he could pull it upwards. Jace shifted as Alec pulled away from him, helping him in getting the garment off him. Alec removed his shirt too before his deep blue stare seemed to try to bore holes into Jace's body.

The scrutiny made Jace's skin crawl. He knew he was handsome. Hell, more than one person had even called him pretty. Blond, tussled hair, blue eyes, and a lean built ensured he never received any complaints from the girls. Hell, he might not have taken anyone up on the offer, but he'd received his fair share of invites from guys too.

Needless to say, wondering if Alec liked what he saw, was a new emotion for him, one he didn’t much like.

"I need you."

Jace could barely hear his friend. The words were so soft, spoken so low, they were barely audible.

Instead of answering, Jace grabbed Alec by the neck. He hauled him forward into a searing kiss. His tongue invaded Alec's mouth, tasting the alcohol he'd overindulged in recently, and something else, something which was probably a taste unique to Alec. He groaned, shifting on the bed.

He moved, using his feet to remove his shoes. Thankfully he hadn't put on any socks which made the whole thing easier. Alec's feet were already bare.

Alec jumped off the bed, quickly removing his sweatpants, tossing them carelessly aside. He was naked underneath, his cock already more than half hard. Jace gasped, staring at the organ as if he'd never seen one before. He mentally slapped himself for acting like a virgin. He covered up his momentary lapse in _cool_ by giving Alec one of his most wicked smirks.

It worked. While Alec walked back to the bed, his eyes once again taking in every part of Jace, he quickly worked his jeans and boxers down his legs. He tossed them to the side, not caring where they landed. His eyes stayed glued to Alec, not wavering for a single second.

"You could've been killed," Alec whispered as he sat down on the bed.

"Don’t be stupid," Jace countered Alec's concern. "Climbing out the window isn’t going to kill me." He even rolled his eyes to underline his skill at staying alive. What reaction he thought his statement would get from Alec, being practically jumped wasn't one he'd expected. Alec usually was so calm, so composed, to see him like this, well, it was a treat. Had Magnus seen him like this often? An unknown feeling tied his stomach into knots, making him shiver. Not with pleasure, but with something else. Alec was his. They were bound by a sacred oath, surely this meant more than the man his friend was crying over, right?

Jace let his head fall back, closing his eyes. He didn't even notice he moved one arm to land across his face, blocking his expression from view. If asked, he would deny hiding, why would he? He had nothing to be shamed off. And yet, Alec made him self-conscious in ways he had never expected.

"Alec," he moaned his parabatai's name like someone would a prayer in church, full of reverence and longing. Alec's mouth on his dick was like heaven, no doubt about it. He knew just where to tease, where to lick, where to lightly apply teeth, basically, he knew how to make Jace's bones melt until he was one aching mess of want.

The tendrils of lust slowly burnt away any other sensation, like a growing inferno taking him closer and closer to the edge of no return. His toes curled, his back arched off the soft mattress, he might've even shouted something, and then…then he flew.

When he came down, to say he was pleasantly abuzz would've been an understatement. He barely noticed when Alec pushed his legs apart, gently rolling over to his stomach while he was at it. He did wonder why a pillow was shoved underneath him, but who cared? Life was good.

Awareness slowly trickled back into him when he felt something probing at his ass.

"Alec?" he asked somewhat tentatively, but his question came out more like a grunt than anything else. Did he want his friend to stop? He was sure if he said so, Alec would. But did he? His forehead creased. Alec's crush on him had been an amusement for him for a while now. At first, he'd wondered if it would ruin what they had, but Alec had never made a move. And looks and glances he could live with. Hell, anytime he encountered anyone with a living pulse, he got looks. Granted, not all the time those looks were favourable. Quite often they more looked like _why don't you drop dead_ , but the point was, he wasn't a stranger to being the centre of attention.

Alec paused, his digit resting on the tight rim of Jace's entrance. All he could hear was panting. He didn’t need to turn to know Alec wanted this, probably even needed it. After losing Magnus, well, if this was what Alec needed from him to get out of the room and act like a person again, then so be it.

Instead of answering, since Jace didn't trust his voice, he shifted, pressing his ass upwards, giving his wordless permission to continue.

Aided by something liquid, Alec pressed ahead, and slowly into Jace's body. Jace tensed. The sharp pain caused by the intrusion didn't last long. Still, was this pleasurable? His doubt didn't outlive the second because Alec seemed to know what he was doing.

He found something deep within him, Jace hadn't even known existed. He'd never believed pleasure could be like this, like a mind-numbing need, reducing his entire being to nothing but feelings. Strike that. Not _feelings_ , but one single emotion: lust.

He twisted and turned, pressing back against the finger, or fingers, widening his legs as much as he could. When Alec finally pushed into him with his considerable length, Jace forgot how to breathe.

It…was weird. Good, and yet, totally not like the sex he was used to. Did he like it? His body seemed to think so since it was humming with need. If he didn’t get what he needed soon, he would go crazy!

"Move!" He yelled, adding a few choice words to drive his need home. 

And Alec did.

##

Light slowly filtered into the room, teasing Jace awake. His body ached, leaving him confused for a few seconds. They hadn't been in any fights, so why did he feel sore? Besides, why did his ass hurt? He shifted, noting how the cool sheets caressed his skin. No, it wasn't precisely a pain he felt, more like…he couldn’t put it into any words.

His eyes slowly fluttered open. He stared at the wall, wondering when he put up such an ugly poster. He blinked, while the wheels in his brain slowly started turning. He wasn’t in his room.

Alec had lost Magnus. Or Magnus had lost Alec. Either way, they were no longer a couple. Alec's sulk had taken on momentous proportions until Jace had played the hero by climbing in through the window.

He'd slept with his parabatai. Not chastely, not like a brother, but like a lover. And, he'd liked it.

He gasped. Fear shot through him. What had he done? Alec had been vulnerable, and he'd taken advantage! But he'd liked it! Who could've possible known Jace would…

"Get out."

Jace nearly jumped out of his skin. Only good training ensured he gave no outward sign. He casually, maybe too casually, sat up. He glanced to his right to where Alec stared up at him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not sure how to actually go about it. What should say? It had been good? So good he might want to actually explore this side of their relationship again? He'd always thought nothing got past him, but maybe he shouldn't have ignored Alec's crush on him for so long. Maybe there was more to it? After all, wasn’t he supposed to be madly in love with Clary, and yet here he was?

Sure, many would say it was only a matter of time before Jace Herondale would cheat on his woman. He liked sex, so what? But liking one thing didn’t mean he couldn’t understand the concept of monogamy.

And yet, Alec had needed him, and here he was. What did that mean?

Well, Jace decided, it meant it needed to be investigated, explored even.

"Leave, Jace…just go. I'm sure you've got better things to do than be here."

A part of Jace was glad Alec was speaking again, but he wasn’t so sure he liked what he was hearing. Did he honestly want to talk about this? Talk? Him?

Without any further comment, he got out of the bed, searching for his clothes. He felt eyes on him as he got dressed but he didn’t turn around. No, he normally didn't talk about feelings, believing actions spoke louder than words on any given day. But Alec was important. There was something here that needed to be addressed. If Alec wasn’t going to say something, he would have to bite the bullet and do it.

He wasn’t a coward, remember?

"Alec…"

"Just leave it, Jace," Alec waived him off with a weird smile Jace couldn’t decipher. His friend pulled the covers over his loins, making Jace realize he'd been staring. Ooooops. "Don’t worry. I'm not going to through myself out of the window. I'm going to talk to Magnus and fix this."

Jace stared. "Last night," he started to say. He cringed. Did he really just sound like the scorned woman in this scenario? But he didn’t understand. There was some fundamental piece of this picture he was missing.

Alec gave him a droll look. "It was great. You were great. Was that what you wanted to here? I didn’t know you liked men too. Hell, I might've made a pass sooner if I hadn't known, but hey, water under the bridge, right?"

Huh?

"I needed something good, so thanks, I guess. Now, get out, ok?" Alec let the sheet drop away from him, but Jace was no longer transfixed by what had caught his attention before.

There was no way he could count the people he'd slept with. Not because they numbered in the thousands, but because he simply hadn't bothered to keep track. And yes, he'd crept out on people before, hell, most of the times they'd never even made it to a bed. And he rarely let his guard down long enough to fall asleep anyway.

But in all this time, he'd never felt cheap. He'd been used, he used in return, but never had he wanted to actually have the earth swallow him whole. Pain shot through his heart, making him wonder if it could actually break in half.

This was what Alec thought of him? He offered himself the one thing he'd never shared with anyone because his parabatai needed it. Sure, most people wouldn't have leaped off the cliff, but Jace never did things half way. He wasn’t that kind of person.

He swallowed hard. He could deal. He would go back to his room, shower, remove any trace of Alec from his skin, and then they would go back to normal.

He left the room, not even aware of where he was going. Ending up in his room, naked and in the shower was more a reflex than anything else. Instead of washing though, he slumped down onto the tiles, letting the water cascade down his scarred body. He traced one scar along the inside of his right arm, staring at it as if it held all the answers he needed.

Whatever hurt he might feeling, soon it would be gone. His mask would be back in place, and nothing would ever touch him again. He could do it. He had plenty of experience with people letting him down.

He'd just never thought he would have to do it for Alec.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I couldn't decide which direction to take this story. I've settled for this. I am still not sure if this was the right decision, but I guess it is done. I hope you will enjoy. :)

"I slept with Alec." 

Clary stopped moving, staring at Jace as if he'd suddenly grown two heads.

"What?"

Jace looked away. Then, he lifted his face again, staring straight at her. He had no idea where the words had come from, but now that he had spoken them, he wasn’t going to take them back.

"I slept with Alec," he repeated, trying to keep his voice level. He really didn’t want to cause her any pain, but apparently his subconscious wanted to come clean. Since he wasn’t in the habit of second guessing himself, he just went with it.

Clary spluttered. Several expressions fluttered over her face until she finally settled on one of intense pain. 

"Clary," Jace tried, taking a step forward. She took one back, holding up her hands.

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking.

A few glib comments were on the tip of Jace's tongue but he swallowed them all. It was a good question. Why had he slept with his parabatai again?

"He was in a bad shape," he explained. It was totally inadequate, but what it all boiled down to was Alec needing him, and him giving it. 

He couldn’t add anything further. With a loud roar, Clary flung a nearby object at him. Jace barely managed to duck in time to avoid getting hit in the head. It shattered right behind him in million pieces.

"I hate you," she declared before storming past him. 

Despite wanting to go after her, to comfort her, he knew it would be pointless. He was the cause of her pain. For a long while he stood in the centre of the room, frozen on the spot. Eventually, he was able to move again.

He didn’t even need to think about where he was going. When he was in the training room, he grabbed a few weapons of choices, and started cleaning them. There was something to be said about a mindless task, where he could let the world around fall away until nothing but the gleaming blade in front of him remained.

"Are you gay?"

He'd been so focused on the task, he hadn't even heard Clary approach. He scoffed. Shouldn’t she know better? Granted, they hadn't gone all the way, but surely she knew him better than that!

"If you aren’t into guys then, why did you sleep with Alec?"

Jace shrugged. He wasn’t into guys, but maybe he was into Alec? It was all just so very confusing. His usual responds to these things, to conflicting emotions, was to ignore them until they went away. Something told him this might not be an option with this one.

"We're over. You get that, right?" Clary added, almost as if she thought he hadn't understood before.

Any comments, any smart expressions died on his tongue. Instead, all he could barely muster was a very weak _I'm sorry_.

"I understand the bond between you and Alec is something I'm not familiar with," Clary continued, staring at him as if by doing so she could solve every puzzle known to man. "Rationally I know you didn’t want to hurt me. You cheated on me because you wanted to ease your parabatai's pain. In time, I might be able to be in the same room with you without wanting to hit you over the head. For now, can you just give me space?"

Unable to say anything else, Jace nodded. The warmth spreading through his chest was both beautiful and painful at the same time. Why had he messed things up so profoundly with her? Anyone who could show such grace under such circumstances deserved better. Well, he thought, a wry smile on his face. She did deserve better.

He didn’t hear her leave, and he was glad for it. He finished polishing the knife but his heart wasn’t in it anymore. When he was done, he placed the weapon on a shelf. He rubbed his face, suddenly feeling quite tired. Maybe he should get some rest. He was half way on his way to his room when he decided to stop for something to eat first. He couldn’t recall the last time he'd eaten anything.

"What are you trying to tell us Mom?" Isabel's voice stopped him in his tracks. His hand hovered mid-air before the door. Why he didn’t simply push it open, he couldn’t say. Something, almost like an instinct, kept him rooted to his spot. Or maybe he was just getting paranoid in his age.

"I'm trying to caution you," Maryse answered, sounding slightly exasperated. She sometimes got like that when she couldn’t get her point across quickly enough. Jace cared for her a great deal, in many ways she was the mother he never had, but just because he loved her, didn’t mean he couldn’t see her faults. An overabundance of patience wasn’t in her genetic make-up.

"There's enough scrutiny on our family," she continued.

"I'm sorry," Clary's quiet voice cut through the air like a whip. "I didn’t mean…"

"No, Clary, no," Maryse hurriedly interrupted her, a hint of shock in her voice. "I never meant to imply you did anything wrong. You didn’t. But Valentine's ghost isn’t something we can get rid of so easily. You're his daughter, but you weren't raised by him. Plus, your ability to create new runes is rather impressive. You are under observation, but they aren’t really worried you are about to turn on them."

"But they worry about Jace?" Alec's voice didn’t hide his incredulity. "He's been a shadow hunter all his life, and yet…"

"He was raised by Valentine," Maryse injected. "He never speaks about those years, at least not to me. Did he talk to you?"

"Not really," Alec admitted.

"But we was only a boy when he came to live with us," Isabel added, trying to be helpful.

"He spent his formative years with the man," Maryse pointed out. "Look," her voice sounded tired, and Jace honestly shared the sentiment. "Prejudice isn’t reasonable. And you can't deny he's been acting out of sorts lately. All I'm saying is be prepared for extra scrutiny."

"Why isn’t Jace here then?" Isabel asked. "Shouldn’t he be aware of the danger?"

"Because he doesn’t listens to reason, now does he?" Alec bitterly added. "He would take it as a challenge…"

Jace had heard enough. He forced himself to move, to walk away swiftly and without making a sound.

Did they really think he would go crazy and betray them? Did they honestly think he was ticking time bomb ready to go off at a moment's notice? Didn’t all those years he spent with them count for anything?

He found a quiet spot so he stopped. He leaned against the wall, slowly slumping to the ground. He pulled his knees up, placing his hands across them so he could huddle close. It wasn’t as if Maryse had said she distrusted him. Her words might be just a warning, cautioning her children against a possible threat. Still, why hadn’t she included him?

Sure, Alec was right. He would've seen the words a challenge. He might've even done something reckless, he knew himself that much at least. But to not tell him at all? Where they honestly worried he might crumble under pressure?

He didn’t know why, but for some reason he thought back to how the Clave had treated Simon. He still didn’t care for the boy, but what they had done to him without provocation had been unjustified. He frowned.

Wasn’t he just as bad? He didn’t much care for Downworlders and how they lived. But Magnus was an OK sort. Sure, a bit crazy, but he'd always come through for them. Was it really fair he had to live with so many restrictions? Who had given the Clave all the power to run amok over things, dictate the lives of every living soul on the planet?

He swallowed hard. He was one of them. He'd never given any thought to how others lived under the rule of the Clave. He'd been stupid. For as long as his supposed bloodline had been pure, his actions had been praised. Maybe with caution, but no one had looked at him funny. Then, once they had believed him to be Valentine's son, his supposed brave actions had been considered to be the act of an unbalanced mind.

Not even clearing his bloodline had changed that because he'd still been raised by the monster. How much worse would it be for someone actually born on the wrong side? If someone constantly told you there was something wrong with you, wouldn’t you eventually end up believing it?

And who made the Clave judge, jury and executioner?

This was dangerous territory. Since Jace didn’t back down for a challenge, he wouldn’t know how, there was only one thing left to do. He needed to gather intel, he needed to see if his suspicion was right.

If it was, well, then he had no clue what to do about it, but something told him, this night would change his life. One way or the other.

##

With his Hoodie neatly pulled over his head, and with is head kept down, he effortlessly walked through the crowded bar. Sure, some gave him a curious glance, but most didn’t even look at him twice. His deflection rune was working perfectly. Unless he did something to stand out in the crowd, anyone looking at him would automatically decide he wasn’t worth the trouble.

The trouble with the rune was it didn’t last for long. Good thing then he had no plans to spend hours in this dive.

He ordered a beer at the bar, making sure to keep his face hidden. No one bothered to card him, this wasn’t that kind of place.

All around him Downworlders mingled, chatting amicably. Occasionally it got rough, but there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary around here.

"What are you doing here?" Magnus slid into the stool beside him. "Oh, don’t give me that look," Magnus told him with laughter in his voice. "Do you honestly think a deflection rune would work on me? I noticed it the moment I entered. Colour me surprised when I realized who was wearing it! So, Jace, what are you doing here?"

Jace took a deep swig of beer, not sure if he should answer. Running into Magnus of all people wasn’t something he had anticipated. Maybe he should have. But hey, he was more action than planning, even on a good day.

"The Clave thinks I should be monitored because Valentine raised me," he carefully said, making sure his voice didn’t carry. Bad enough if someone could snippets of their conversation, but if anyone caught _Clave_ and _Valentine_ in the same sentence, all eyes and ears would be on them.

Magnus leaned in closer, propping himself up on his elbow. Anyone looking at them would see a guy trying to charm a slightly reluctant party. Nothing out of the ordinary here - this was what Magnus telegraphed to the world loud and clear when nothing could've been further from the truth.

"This is news to you?" Magnus asked, raising an eye brow.

Jace growled despite his best efforts. It shouldn’t be news, he should've expected it, it was just, he hadn't realized the implications of the shadow they all were living under.

"Alec's usually the one who does all the thinking around here," he said. His eyes went wide. 

Magnus snorted.

"I mean," Jace backtracked, "I do know how to think…ah shit…" There was no way to safe himself from what he'd just said.

Magnus, for whatever reason, wasn’t in the mood to mock him. Instead, he prompted him to continue speaking by saying, "You had a revelation of sorts then?"

Jace nodded. Maybe if he spoke his thoughts out loud they would sound stupid? It had happened before…"I never really questioned the status quo. I never much liked following orders, but they didn’t really inconvenience me."

Magnus nodded yet again. Instead of focusing on him, Jace's gaze drifted away. He no longer saw the bar, his gaze was directed inwards, focusing on something deep in his mind. "I never thought twice about how I look at Vampires. I still don’t like Simon, but it wasn’t right how the Clave treated him. They had no right…"

He didn’t realize it, but as he kept on talking, his voice rose. Magnus tried to get his attention, stealthily at first, and then by grabbing him, but Jace couldn’t stop himself. It was as if he was possessed. The thoughts needed to come out, they needed to be said, and apparently he was the vessel for the message – whether he wanted to be or not.

"Who made them jury, judge and executioner?" he continued. "What right do they have to dictate the life of everyone? No one should have that much power! What we need is a council, a place where all of us are represented equally. We need balance. We can't just have one corrupt entity governing our lives! That's madness! Who makes sure the people in charge are actually following the rules?"

The loud roar of approval coming from all around him shook Jace out of his trance. He flinched. If he hadn't been sitting down, he would've probably stumbled over his own two feet. He blinked. He looked around. His mind felt sluggish, as if he was under water somehow, unable to really see the reality around him.

He didn’t protest when Magnus guided him through the crowed. Instead of hostility, something a shadow hunter would expect to encounter in a Downworlder bar, he only sensed curiosity. The people parted before him, letting them pass without any trouble at all.

"What just happened?" Jace asked the moment they were outside.

"I think you might've just lit the match to start a fire," Magnus dryly answered.

For once, Jace had no comment.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I continue this? I haven't written anything in so long, I don't know. Any interest?


End file.
